Brazil

Did Germany introduce an automated system which will return lost items to the owner and protect their privacy at the same time? No, that's not true: The picture on social media features an AI generated image of several automated kiosks installed on a public sidewalk. The post originated from a page that is mass producing stories of urban infrastructure innovations…

Did the Justice Department launch a grand jury investigation into California Governor Gavin Newsom, accused by critics of violating the Logan Act by going to a climate conference in Brazil? No, that's not true: The story's source was a fictional character, "US Attorney for North-Central California Joe Barron". The claim originated from a page warning its readers that nothing it…

Is there a viral video clip in which Ivanka Trump calls Jasmine Crockett "ghetto trash" and did CeeDee Lamb or another athlete then calm things down with a quote about "tearing other people down"? No, that's not true: The story contained several verifiably false details and was promoted by a Facebook page managed from Poland, Vietnam and Brazil. Searches of…

Does a video show something surprising that happened during Blake Shelton's appearance on "The View"? No, that's not true: Clickbait publishers on social media have put out many fake stories about clashes between Shelton and the hosts of "The View". Shelton has never been a guest on "The View", which means none of these stories are true. One example of…

Did Travis Kelce or other celebrities make a public statement that Jimmy Kimmel should leave America? No, that's not true: This is a made-up story which has been repeated using the same formula with many different famous names. At least nine variations of this story have been published on Facebook by pages originating overseas -- none of them are true.…

Do images described as tree stumps provide proof that there were once giant ancient trees which were felled by angels? No, that's not true: The photos show natural geological features around the world which came to be through several geological processes over millions of years. Volcanoes erupting, erosion of different materials at different speeds, and the lifting and folding of…

Does a video show a man who tried to disguise himself as a little girl being detained by ICE and offered a cheeseburger? No, that's not true: The post making the claim offered no context about the origins of the video, but Lead Stories identified the person seen eating a cheeseburger. She is the daughter of an Instagram influencer in…

Did a widely-shared image provide an authentic record of Niagara Falls turning "blood red" in June 2025? No, that's not true: The image was first posted by a Facebook page that regularly posts fictional content and AI-generated images. A spokesperson for the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation confirmed that the story and image were "not…

Did the Pentagon in May of 2025 approve acquisition of a "Qatari-built jet" to be the next Air Force One? No, that's not true: There is no aircraft manufacturing industry in Qatar that could make a jet of that size. The Pentagon on May 21, 2025 announced it had approved President Trump's plan to accept a Boeing 747 as a…

Did the Canadian government threaten a "100 percent tariff on Tesla" in February 2025? No, that's not true: While the federal government in Ottawa was considering its options, the Department of Finance Canada said," The claim is false." Instead, proposals to impose a 100 percent tax on Teslas came from individual Canadian politicians, not the government itself. The implied claim…